Brake control system



y 1966 B. F. BOWLSBY 3,248,883

BRAKE CONTROL SYS TEM Filed April 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO R. BRUCE F, BOWLSBY May 3, 1966 B. F. BOWLSBY 3,248,883

BRAKE CONTROL SYS TEM Filed April 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO R.

BRUCE F. BOWLSBY United States Patent 3,248,883 BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM Bruce F. Bowlsby, 1414 SE. Long St., Portland, Oreg. Filed Apr. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 276,132 4 Claims. (Cl. 6054.6)

This invention relates to a brake control system, but more particularly to a structure of this kind whereby a plurality of master cylinders are assembled and mounted on the fire wall or under the floor of the vehicle to which it is attached. The illustrations in this application show four master cylinders which may be operated simultaneously, or independently by means of a single brake pedal, while each cylinder is controlled by oil pressure brake fluid that is in cylinders.

One object of the embodiment of this invention is to provide a safety device so constructed and controlled that a sudden stop may be made in an emergency to prevent accidents; and injury to persons and property.

Another object is to provide pressure gauges with a capacity of three thousand (3,000) pounds connected to each cylinder by pipes which pass from the master cylinders which are initially filled with oil by the reciprocating movement of a bifurcated lever detachably connected to a tube in a manner to be more fully set forth in detail hereinafter, and shut off valve in lines ahead of the same to use only when you are adjusting the linkage in the heads.

To produce a device of this type that is simple in construction, easy to operate and comparatively inexpensive in manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the embodiment will become apparent in the following specification and appended claims, which taken in connection with the drawings, form a part of this application, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of the embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an elevation and section taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1, showing one master cylinder.

FIGURE 3 is an end view taken on 3--3 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

FIGURE 4 is an elevation of the detachable bifurcated lever.

Now with more detailed reference to the drawing, the numeral indicates master cylinders 10 with the regulation mountings removed, but having ledges 11 which are firmly fitted to the end 12 of an opening in casing 13 as illustrated in FIG. 2, while a rectangular cover 14 registering with the top portions of said cylinders is fastened to said casing by means of nuts 15 and threaded to bolts 16, which are aflixed to the sides of casing 13. When the cylinders are thus assembled, the casing is mounted on the fire wall or under the floor boards of the vehicle to which it is attached.

The operating mechanisms comprise pillow blocks 17 bolted under top 18 of casing 13 to support the end of shaft 19, while cranks 20 are aflixed to said shaft and reciprocated by links 21 by pressure on pedal 22, which is integral with lever 23 mounted on shaft 19, while cranks 20 have extending therefrom pintles 24 which support links 21; said links have integral cylindrical ends drilled and tapped to receive the threaded ends 25 of rods 26 which operate in tubes 27 in a manner and for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth in detail.

Attached intermediate the floor and top 18 of casing 13 is a transversely disposed rib 28 to support a felt strip 29 through which pass tubes 27 as shown in FIG. 12, while a metal plate 30 is placed in front of said felt and screwed to rib 28 in order to hold it in permanent contact with the rib, while the purpose of said felt is to prevent leakage 3,248,883 Patented May 3 1966 ice of fluids from the master cylinders while the tubes are being reciprocated and hold out the noise and fumes.

Tubes 27 have have formed thereon flanges 31-32 to guide the bifurcated end 33 of operating lever 34, which is placed in cups 35 when desired and held therein by means of trunnions 36 which register with lips 37 of said cups. Cups 35 are affixed to top 18 of casing 13 by welding or any convenient means of fastening.

The free ends of tubes 27 are solid and pass through rubber units 38 which are attached to master cylinders 10 and through which the free ends of said tubes are forced during their reciprocal movement by the manual operation of bifurcated lever 34.

Connected to the rear portions of master cylinders 10 are pipes 39-40-41-42 where they connect with pressure gauges 43-44-45-46, thence continue to terminate at brake cylinders under the vehicle to which the control systern is attached, while intermediate said gauges and brake cylinders, valves 47-48-4950 are attached to each pipe; each of said valves is controlled by stems 51-52-53-54. When said stems are adjusted to desired points of regulation, and rods 25 arranged to desired lengths by nuts 55, the detachable lever 34 is placed in one of the cups 35 as shown in FIGURE 2 and the bifurcated portion 33 straddles one of tubes 27 intermediate flanges 31-32, the operator is ready to bleed air from the brake cylinders to which the pipes lead by a series of steps to be more fully explained as follows:

Valves 47-4849-50 are closed to predetermined capacities and each rod 25 adjusted to a desired length, lever 34 is placed in cup 35 until its bifurcated portion straddles one of tubes 27 reciprocate said tube for the purpose of exhausting air from one gage. This operation is repeated until each gage is exhausted of air and each pressure gauge registers uniformly. This operation starts again to bleed air out of brake lines. Now you open said shut off valves. Repeat the pumping to get air out of brake lines. Now adjust brakes in the wheels until all are registered the same on the gauges. The lever 34 is then removed and the operator is prepared to press pedal 22 and cause the brake fluid to flow into the brake cylinders either simultaneously or selectively.

While the structure has been described in detail and with specific illustrations, it is to be understood that other modifications in construction and arrangements of parts may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present embodiment is illustrative but not restrictive, since the scope and purview of the invention is indicated by the appended claims other than by the foregoing description.

Having thus fully described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention in a manner that may enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to construct and use the same, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A brake control system comprising a plurality of brake means to be actuated,

a plurality of master cylinders, one for each of said =brake means,

:a common pedal for simultaneously actuating said plural master cylinders,

each master cylinder having a hydraulic circuit associated therewith by which it may be actuated by the pedal and by which it may actuate the associated brake means,

each hydraulic circuit including a reservoir for supplying it with hydraulic fluid,

a push rod unit for each master cylinder for actuating the piston thereof and being operatively interposed between such piston and said common pedal,

each push rod unit including two parts in thrust engagement with one another whereby the part remote from said pedal can be actuated independently of said pedal without actuating said pedal,

actuating means for individually and selectively actuating each said rem'ote part whereby to individually and selectively actuate the associated master cylinder to enable the supply fluid from the associated reservoir to the associated hydraulic circuit during bleeding of the associated circuit Without having any effect on the other circuits, whereby to provide for independent adjustment of the pressures in said circuits to a desired value to facilitate concurrent operation of said brakes by the operation of said brake pedal.

2. A brake control system as set forth in claim 1 in which actuating means includes a single handle type actuator which selectively engages with each of said remote parts whereby each of said remote parts may be independently actuated in turn and as required by use of said single handle type actuator.

3. -A brake control system as set forth in claim 1 in which there is pressure gauging means associated with each circuit whereby the pressure in each circuit may be determined independently of the other circuits to facilitate independent adjustment of the pressure valve thereof.

'4. A brake control system as set forth in claim 1 in which said master cylinders are mounted in a rigid casing and in which the pedal is mounted on a pivot shaft in said rigid casing whereby the stresses of actuating said master cylinder are taken and borne by said rigid casing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,888,092 11/1932 Peterson 6054.6 2,141,358 12/1938 Meeks 188-152,02 2,203,908 6/1940 Hess 6054.6 X 2,556,288 6/195'1 Milster 60-S4.5 2,616,658 11/1952 Dombeck 6054.5 X 2,741,337 4/1956 .Ziskal 188152.02 2,947,145 8/1960 Ch'oate et a1. 6054.6 2,965,201 12/1960 Lee 6054.6 X 3,021,677 2/1962 Miller 6054.6 3,113,433 12/1963 Kohlm'an 60 54.6

SAMUEL LEVINE, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT 11.1 BUNEVICH, JULIUS E. WEST,

' Examiners. 

1. A BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BRAKE MEANS TO BE ACTUATED, A PLURALITY OF MASTER CYLINDERS, ONE OF EACH OF SAID BRAKE MEANS, A COMMON PEDAL FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTUATING SAID PLURAL MASTER CYLINDERS, EACH MASTER CYLINDER HAVING A HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT ASSOCIATED THEREWITH BY WHICH IT MAY BE ACTUATED BY THE PEDAL AND BY WHICH IT MAY ACTUATE THE ASSOCIATED BRAKE MEANS, EACH HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT INCLUDING A RESERVOIR FOR SUPPLYING IT WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID, A PUSH ROD UNIT FOR EACH MASTER CYLINDER FOR ACTUATING THE PISTON THEREOF AND BEING OPERATIVELY INTERPOSED BETWEEN SUCH PISTON AND SAID COMMON PEDAL, EACH PUSH ROD UNIT INCLUDING TWO PARTS IN THRUST ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER WHEREBY THE PART REMOTE FROM SAID PEDAL CAN BE ACTUATED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID PEDAL WITHOUT ACTUATING SAID PEDAL, ACTUATING MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY AND SELECTIVELY ACTUATING EACH SAID REMOTE PART WHEREBY TO INDIVIDUALLY AND SELECTIVELY ACTUATE THE ASSOCIATED MASTER CYLINDER TO ENABLE THE SUPPLY FLUID FROM THE ASSOCIATED RESERVOIR TO THE ASSOCIATED HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT DURING BLEEDING OF THE ASSOCIATED CIRCUIT WITHOUT HAVING ANY EFFECT ON THE OTHER CIRCUITS, WHEREBY TO PROVIDE FOR INDEPENDENT ADJUSTMENT OF THE PRESSURES IN SAID CIRCUITS TO A DESIRED VALUE TO FACILITATE CONCURRENT OPERATION OF SAID BRAKES BY THE OPERATION OF SAID BRAKE PEDAL. 